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My eBook “Think Like a Scientist: Understanding Weather & Climate” is now available through NSTA Press. Learn more about this and other NSTA ebooks for the K-5 classroom here.
Author Archives: MrMusselman
Community Building through Curriculum Mapping
“It takes a village” can be used in several contexts, particularly when it comes to education. While overhauling the Burlington elementary science curriculum the saying has only been reinforced as Wendy Pavlicek and I have leaned on classroom teachers, curriculum … Continue reading
Posted in 6-8, Curriculum, Professional Development, Professional Reflections
Tagged curriculum development
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Incremental Improvement through Student Discourse
Over the summer I took in a rebroadcast of the Freakonomics podcast episode titled, “In Praise of Incrementalism”. The featured authors, economists, and guests of the show touted the power of incremental changes in a world where our attention is … Continue reading
Developing Learning Strands: The Making of a NSTA National Conference – Part 1
It can be a surprise to many (including me!) but a conference as big as the NSTA’s National Conference takes more than two full years to develop. As the chairperson for the upcoming 2020 NSTA National Conference in Boston I joined … Continue reading
My New Favorite Way to Say “Stop Using the Scientific Method”
For generations human civilization presented the model of Earth as flat. Sure, it seemed to work under specific scenarios, like when you stood at a high point and looked out to the horizon. No curve? Must be flat. Model works. … Continue reading
Posted in Professional Reflections
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‘Unoriginal Ideas’ that Improve our “Ability to Share a Message”
In the midst of holiday merry making and Christmas cleanup I was able to take a bite out of my podcast backlog; including several episodes of the “Innovator’s Mindset” MOOC series currently being chewed on by teachers and administrators in … Continue reading
Behind Every “Outstanding Teacher” is an Outstanding Community of Educators
During this year’s MAST Conference I was honored as the “2017 Science Teacher of the Year for Middlesex County.” I sat beside fellow educators from across the state being recognized for outstanding accomplishments, humbled by their stories of bringing their … Continue reading
EcoTarium Exhibit Engineering Challenge!
Before heading out for summer break, my partner Wendy Pavlicek and I put together a pair of videos designed to drive an engineering challenge for our Grade 2 students who will be investigating habitats next year. The challenge is designed … Continue reading
Posted in Classroom Activities, K-2
Tagged ecosystems, engineering, field trips, life science
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